Mandevilla plant named ‘Sunmanderemi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Mandevilla  plant named ‘Sunmanderemi’, characterized by its upright and compact vining growth habit; glossy and small dark green-colored leaves; freely branching and flowering habit; red-colored flowers with imbricate petals; and long flowering period.

Botanical designation: Mandevilla hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunmanderemi’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is co-pending with the following application: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/050,903. Title: Mandevilla Plant Named ‘Sunmandetomi’. First Named Applicant: Tomoya Misato.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant, botanically known as Mandevilla hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunmanderemi’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Mandevilla cultivars with attractive flower form and coloration.

The new cultivar originated from a cross-pollination of a proprietary Mandevilla hybrid selection identified as code number M35-4, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Mandevilla hybrid selection identified as code number M28-3, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2002. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan, since October, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Mandevilla are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sunmanderemi have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunmanderemi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunmanderemi’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and compact vining growth habit.     -   2. Glossy and small dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Freely branching and flowering habit.     -   4. Red-colored flowers with imbricate petals.     -   5. Long flowering period.

Plants of the Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the female parent, the proprietary selection identified as M35-4. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Mandevilla differed from plants of the female parent selection primarily in leaf size as plants of the female parent selection had broader leaves than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the male parent, the proprietary selection identified as M28-3. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Mandevilla differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Mandevilla had ovate-shaped leaves whereas         plants of the male parent selection had elliptic-shaped leaves.     -   2. Plants of the new Mandevilla and the male parent selection         differed in flower coloration as plants of the male parent         selection had light pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the Mandevilla cultivar, ‘Sunmandecos’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,202. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Mandevilla differed from plants of the cultivar Sunmandecos in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Mandevilla had much shorter and more narrow         lateral branches than plants of the cultivar Sunmandecos.     -   2. Plants of the new Mandevilla had smaller leaves than plants         of the cultivar Sunmandecos.     -   3. Plants of the new Mandevilla had smaller flowers than plants         of the cultivar Sunmandecos.     -   4. Plants of the new Mandevilla and the cultivar Sunmandecos         differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar         Sunmandecos had light red purple-colored flowers.     -   5. Plants of the new Mandevilla flowered for a longer period of         time than plants of the cultivar Sunmandecos.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Mandevilla.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunmanderemi’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Sunmanderemi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were about five months old and grown in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery during the summer in Yokaichi, Shiga, Japan. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C.

-   Botanical classification: Mandevilla hybrid cultivar Sunmanderemi. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Mandevilla hybrid             selection identified as code number M35-4, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Mandevilla hybrid             selection identified as code number M28-3, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks at 23 to 25° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 40 days at 23 to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous, fleshy; light brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial evergreen flowering plant typically             commercially grown as an annual; compact twining vine;             initially upright, then vining, requires support to maintain             upright habit. Freely branching, lateral branches             potentially forming at every node. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 127 cm. Diameter: About             1.9 mm. Internode length: About 12.8 cm. Shape: Round in             cross-section. Aspect: Initially upright, then twining and             trailing, plants require support. Strength: Flexible,             moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Developing stems: 152A. Mature stems: 174A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaves simple, alternate; generally             symmetrical and long-persisting. Length: About 6.6 cm.             Width: About 3.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Rotund. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Glossy. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate.             Petiole length: About 1.4 cm. Petiole diameter: About             1.2 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: 147A; venation, similar to lamina. Developing             and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147A; venation,             similar to lamina. Petiole, upper and lower surfaces: 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flower; flowers             racemose; flowers face upright or outwardly. Flowers not             persistent. Freely flowering, about four or five flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early summer to late autumn in             Japan; flowering continuous.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven to ten days.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 10.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 14.7 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             five-parted; petals imbricate; flowers roughly star-shaped.             Diameter: About 7.9 cm. Depth (length): About 6.7 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7.1 mm. Diameter: About 8.4 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Color: 51A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five             petals, fused into flared trumpet; petals imbricate. Petal             length: About 3.4 cm. Petal width: About 2.8 cm. Petal             shape: Spatulate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin:             Entire undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: Petal, upper surface, when             opening and fully opened: 46A. Petal, lower surface, when             opening and fully opened: 46A. Tube: 46A. Throat: N30D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Five per flower in a single             whorl; fused. Length: About 9.2 mm. Width: About 1.4 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.9 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Angle: Mostly straight. Strength: Flexible, but strong.             Color: 146B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: Mostly straight. Strength: Flexible, but strong.             Color: 178C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement:             Typically five; filaments fused to corolla; anthers,             connivent. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther size: About 1 cm             by 1 mm. Anther color: 15D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: 15D. Pistils: Quantity: Typically one. Pistil length:             About 2 cm. Stigma shape: Conical. Stigma color: 1C; towards             the apex, 45A. Style length: About 1.8 cm. Style color: 1C.             Ovary color: 144B.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Color:             145A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Mandevilla. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have been     observed to be tolerant to rain and wind and tolerant to     temperatures from 4 to 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant named ‘Sunmanderemi’, as illustrated and described. 